Condensation

[volvorocks]

Anybody here suffer from condensation at home?

If so how have you dealt with it and does anyone know the real cause?

[shiznit76]

poor ventilation. Need to get more outside air in to rooms affaceted. Can do this by leaving windows open just wee bit, usually can do this and still lock them as tend to be able to open overtwo latches on frame, so can open it over first latch then lock still.
Either that or can use dehumidifiers.
It's casue by cold air and warm air meeting really.

[moncman]

The volume of water in the warm air inside the house is higher than the capacity of the air surrounding cold surfaces where condensation occurs ie cold outer walls, the inside of the roof space and typically the windows. Single glazed windows are the worst as the pane of glass will be at or around the same temp as the outside air.

Yes copious ventilation will help but I guess you probably don't want to keep circulating and warming outside air which will send heating bills sky high. This is a massive problem in 1960's social housing eg high rise flats where the occupants haven't got the spare cash to open all the windows and jack up the electric heating.

Best cure is to bring down the humidity inside the building in the first place. Dehumidifiers will do this (at a cost) but changing a few things can help.

When cooking don't have pans on a rolling boil - a gentle simmer will do and cover with a lid. Only boil the minumum amout of water in a kettle. Don't try to dry washing indoors or leave towels over radiators. Shower in the morning with a window cracked open. Try to avoid steaming hot baths at night (even though it is nice)

Finally - warm air rises so if you do want ventilation and live in a two storey house the most efficient way of achieving a flow of air without freezing is to slightly open a window downstairs (downstairs loo might be an option?) and another upstairs (bathroom).

[Moosejaw]

As everyone said, it's simple physics.

Moisture in the air hits the cold glass and turns from a vapour into a liquid.
Cut down the amount of water in the atmosphere inside the house and the condensation problem will reduce, although unless you all stop breathing you'll not cut it out 100%. :D

[volvorocks]

As everyone said, it's simple physics.

Moisture in the air hits the cold glass and turns from a vapour into a liquid.
Cut down the amount of water in the atmosphere inside the house and the condensation problem will reduce, although unless you all stop breathing you'll not cut it out 100%. :D

Its a mystery where the moisture is coming from. House isnt damp or anything like that.

House is double glazed, well insulated and nothing unusually "wet" happens within!

I do use a dehumidifier, do open windows slightly, do have heating on, do not over boil pans, do not have excessive washing drying,no dryer in house either, do let the steam out of the shower / bath - just normal day to day things really yet most people living nearby do not seem to have any or as much condensation.

I am wondering if its the amount of breathing we do and the way we breath...seriously.I know it sounds funny but I am lost on the topic.

[galloot633]

glad someone else brought this up, this is our first winter with double glazing, and we were surprised the other month when we got up to condensation on some of the Windows, nowhere near as bad as the old wooden frames, where the water used to run off the window ledges, and it goes in an hour or so, but when I quizzed others about it they were all surprised, we run a dehumidifier all the time , but it is on a lot less nowerdays.
Dave

[ex911driver]

I was at a house fitting a boiler , the lady complained about the amount of condensation in morning. We moved boiler outside and condensation stopped. Apparently her boiler had a very small leak round the back and this was the cause.

[david philips]

this usually helps unless theres a problim ie water leak / dampness,in really bad cases you can get a fan installed to make a postive pressure in the house,i think its quite common as the newer pvc windio frames now have built in vents ,these can be bought and fitted to older ones as with gass filled glass units.

[galloot633]

this usually helps unless theres a problim ie water leak / dampness,in really bad cases you can get a fan installed to make a postive pressure in the house,i think its quite common as the newer pvc windio frames now have built in vents ,these can be bought and fitted to older ones as with gass filled glass units.

I find the fan idea fascinating, but wouldnt it draw in damp air ?
dave

[ewanc0]

What type of heating do you have? I've heard it is quite common with gas central heating

[volvorocks]

What type of heating do you have? I've heard it is quite common with gas central heating

Electric.Thats what makes things more confusing!

[Danhere]

Cavity wall insulation?
They still seem to push this and the modern methods are probably more sorted. But in days gone by when it was all the rage, people had problems with damp after filling the wall cavity because the moisture would creep up the filler material. The cavity ceased to isolate and ventilate.
I know creeping damp is not exactly condensation, just thought I would mention it.

[volvorocks]

Cavity wall insulation?
They still seem to push this and the modern methods are probably more sorted. But in days gone by when it was all the rage, people had problems with damp after filling the wall cavity because the moisture would creep up the filler material. The cavity ceased to isolate and ventilate.
I know creeping damp is not exactly condensation, just thought I would mention it.

Yes there is cavity wall insulation!

Prior to cavity wall insulation there was still condensation although it may then have been due to the fact that the windows were single glazed.

Once the double glazing was installed, also installed was cavity wall insulation so there is no way of knowing if "No cavity wall insulation + double glazing would have equalled less or no condensation"

Thanks for your input.

Regards

[961]

Much of this may be caused, as you say, by breathing

Ventilation helps massively. Bedroom windows open a fraction overnight

Extract fans in bathroom and kitchen

An open fire or wood burning stove a couple of times a week will refresh air

Once a day open all the windows for an hour and allow new air in. That air will virtually always be drier than the moisture laden air inside

De humidifiers will remove moisture but the cost is horrendous and you'd be much better preventing moisture build up

[volvorocks]

De humidifiers will remove moisture but the cost is horrendous and you'd be much better preventing moisture build up

Thanks for your input 961

I do run de-humidifiers, and yes they are expensive to run and yes they do reduce the condensation to some extent.

Yes I do agree its always better to treat the cause rather than the symptoms - I just need to find the cause!!

Regards

[RXS]

Before we had double glazing put in we had terible condensation in our windows (allways wet on the inside) so we used these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Streamline-Kontrol-Moisture-Trap-Condensation-Crystal-/230669046462?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Hearing_Cooling_Air&hash=item35b4f252be

they worked a treat but now we have double glazing we dont need them anymore

[961]

I just need to find the cause!!

Regards

The cause is 2 things

Condensation created in the house and

lack of air movement to get rid of it, which is caused by draught exclusion

If you create moisture with breathing, cooking, bathing you need to extract it by extract fans in the kitchen, bathroom, or by an open window in the bedroom

Fresh air, containing less moisture, will arrive from outside and solve the problem, unless...

you are running moisture creating things like bottled gas heaters, paraffin heaters, dishwashers, clothes dryers

Somehow, you need to have air changes to remove moisture laden air in your home and replace it with fresh air from outside

It will work. Honest!

[volvorocks]

The cause is 2 things

Condensation created in the house and

lack of air movement to get rid of it, which is caused by draught exclusion

If you create moisture with breathing, cooking, bathing you need to extract it by extract fans in the kitchen, bathroom, or by an open window in the bedroom

Fresh air, containing less moisture, will arrive from outside and solve the problem, unless...

you are running moisture creating things like bottled gas heaters, paraffin heaters, dishwashers, clothes dryers

Somehow, you need to have air changes to remove moisture laden air in your home and replace it with fresh air from outside

It will work. Honest!

Hi

Thanks for this.

None of the above in bold in the house though!

We do lots of things to mitigate and sometimes it works well, sometimes it lessens the condensation.

Thing is surely the rest of the peeps living nearby arent trying as hard as me to stop condensation,yet they seem to have none!

An interesting thing being tested at the moment is extra cleaning of the inside of the windows to remove pollution such as cooking smoke etc. It appears to assist.

Regards

Testing in progress!

[Rustee]

If you have a shower in the bathroom get a plastic wiper to chase water from the screen and walls after you shower so it goes down the plughole rather than evaporates.

I'm not keen on cavity wall insulation after a colleague had damp in her walls, the solution was to work round the outside walls removing a brick at a time to remove the stuff and stop the damp coming in, hope you don't have that problem!

[sixaparrat]

the problem at the moment is that the outside air is also very humid, and the nighttime temperature is falling past the dew point, so this morning we had condensation both inside and on the outside of the windows

[Paul240480]

Over here, all new houses by law have to have a little extracted fan thing that runs 24/7. Renovations have to have one too. This has been in force for some years now.
Tis a little electric motor and it has pipes that go to a grill in the ceiling of all bathrooms and one in the kitchen. Outlet is through another pipe which which exits via the roof. It is very crudely fitted, as it hangs from the roof joists with string! Easy to replace mind if it dies, as you can buy replacements off the shelf in most DIY stores.
My house and my two gites have one each. Result virtually nil condensation:thumbs_up:
Simple but very very effective.

Not that this helps you Volvorocks, but thought it may be interesting to see how another country appears to have solved the issue.....

[scr8pdo]

This is a weird one, in some houses I have been in it has been a big problem, so much so that the walls of the house get wet and can go mouldy, the last house we were in was a nightmare, it had been totally re plastered through out and painted but the paint used to flake off in massive patches due to condensation, it wasnt rising damp as it would occur high up and none below, apparently the house had, had a big problem years before due to damp, we tried all sorts, dehumidifier, leaving windows open, heaters etc, the Calor gas heater actually made it worse btw

[961]

This is a weird one, in some houses I have been in it has been a big problem, so much so that the walls of the house get wet and can go mouldy, the last house we were in was a nightmare, it had been totally re plastered through out and painted but the paint used to flake off in massive patches due to condensation, it wasnt rising damp as it would occur high up and none below, apparently the house had, had a big problem years before due to damp, we tried all sorts, dehumidifier, leaving windows open, heaters etc, the Calor gas heater actually made it worse btw

Some cavity wall insulation can cause this, and it is very difficult to rectify

Portable bottled gas heaters throw out unbelievable amounts of moisture and should be avoided in any property with damp problems

[scr8pdo]

Its funny you should say that about the cavity insulation as that house had been fitted with it a few years before, its where they drill into the wall and fill it isnt it, little plastic plugs along the wall about 2 ft up?

[Paul240480]

Do you know what... My bro had cavity wall insulation done a few years back. One of these knock on door sales company. I'd have sent em on there way, but hey-ho. He got Dad to have his done too, so they 'both' got a deal....
Well me bro' now has a damp problem! Wondering how long it'll be before me folks find some damp too......

[961]

Poorly installed cavity wall insulation can bridge the gap and let the damp in

If that happens seek professional advice

[baldmosher]

We live in a high rise council flat, there is one "always on" vent in the bathroom (which can be screwed almost shut) and another that's switchable in the kitchen, thankfully we don't have damp problems despite having two adults and three cats, but the badly-fitted double-glazed windows do leak pretty badly, so I wouldn't expect to have a problem really!

The Wife™ always likes to have the boiler on full blast so she can have a bath once a week (gas, but vents wet/dirty air to the outside) which means when the heating is on it's roasting and when it's off it's freezing. It's a pain in the arse. I wake up every morning sweating with a hangover, and I don't drink alcohol.

[scr8pdo]

We live in a high rise council flat, there is one "always on" vent in the bathroom (which can be screwed almost shut) and another that's switchable in the kitchen, thankfully we don't have damp problems despite having two adults and three cats, but the badly-fitted double-glazed windows do leak pretty badly, so I wouldn't expect to have a problem really!

The Wife™ always likes to have the boiler on full blast so she can have a bath once a week (gas, but vents wet/dirty air to the outside) which means when the heating is on it's roasting and when it's off it's freezing. It's a pain in the arse. I wake up every morning sweating with a hangover, and I don't drink alcohol.


Oh mate, I cant be having the poxy heating on while iam asleep, with me, I have a big fan on my face every night weather boiling hot or freezing cold, I always have the bedroom window open even in the snow, once I had fog in my bedroom :) honest, years back when I lived at my dads

[volvorocks]

Oh mate, I cant be having the poxy heating on while iam asleep, with me, I have a big fan on my face every night weather boiling hot or freezing cold, I always have the bedroom window open even in the snow, once I had fog in my bedroom :) honest, years back when I lived at my dads

Crikes I would be frozen, never mind condensation on the windows Id have ice!!
What do the rest of the family do?

Regards

[scr8pdo]

Crikes I would be frozen, never mind condensation on the windows Id have ice!!
What do the rest of the family do?

Regards

They have to put up with me lol, I must have a fresh supply of oxygen while I sleep or I wake up feeling like sh!te, its only our bedroom and tbh I do compromise on how wide I open the window, if it was just me it would be full open but as long as its just open and the fan is on iam ok